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New Steam Boiler Installation

ostneb
ostneb Member Posts: 4
Hi All,

Been on the forums for about a year before my steam boiler started leaking. Just wanted to share my new installation with everyone. I was a bit oversized before and was surprised to find my boiler went from running about 4-5 hours a day to 8-10 hours a day during the coldest days this past winter! Did see my heating bill go up a little but I also increased my set temp by a few degrees as well.

Went from a Peerless to a WM-EG30.






delcrossvPC7060IronmanEdTheHeaterMan

Comments

  • Jamie Hall
    Jamie Hall Member Posts: 23,160
    Very nice!
    Br. Jamie, osb
    Building superintendent/caretaker, 7200 sq. ft. historic house museum with dependencies in New England
    Ironman
  • EdTheHeaterMan
    EdTheHeaterMan Member Posts: 7,713
    edited April 2022
    The TAG on the relief valve is bent. Other than that... It's fine. :D
    Edit: The document holder is a nice touch. Like the doctor can review the chart before conferring with the patient.
    Edward F Young. Retired HVAC ContractorSpecialized in Residential Oil Burner and Hydronics
    Ironmanluketheplumber
  • ethicalpaul
    ethicalpaul Member Posts: 5,695
    that's interesting about the run time. I would expect no real difference in run time, but just a difference in number of cycles (it should have gone down with the new smaller boiler).

    I suspect the increased run time was due to observer bias (nothing personal, we all have it) or a colder/windier winter requiring more run time.

    For a real comparison, you'd have to look at degree days vs fuel usage (not cost which can vary) for the two years to compare
    NJ Steam Homeowner. See my sight glass boiler videos: https://bit.ly/3sZW1el
  • ostneb
    ostneb Member Posts: 4

    The TAG on the relief valve is bent. Other than that... It's fine. :D
    Edit: The document holder is a nice touch. Like the doctor can review the chart before the conferring with the patient.

    I'll make sure I get on that!

    that's interesting about the run time. I would expect no real difference in run time, but just a difference in number of cycles (it should have gone down with the new smaller boiler).

    I suspect the increased run time was due to observer bias (nothing personal, we all have it) or a colder/windier winter requiring more run time.

    For a real comparison, you'd have to look at degree days vs fuel usage (not cost which can vary) for the two years to compare

    Yea, I wish I had better records of everything, Nest is not suited for this task, sadly.

    I did notice that the new boiler takes a long time to head up the radiators (~30 minutes or so) once it kicks on, the old one heated much faster. With that said, the old one would cycle on and off a lot more whereas the new once pretty much stays on the entire time until the temperature cut off is reached by the thermostat. I thought this was a contributor to the longer run times.
    PC7060ethicalpaulEdTheHeaterMan
  • Snowmelt
    Snowmelt Member Posts: 1,405
    How high are those risers,? I like the pre made pig tail at the pressure troll
  • Steamhead
    Steamhead Member Posts: 16,796
    Looks like one of @New England SteamWorks ' jobs..............
    All Steamed Up, Inc.
    Towson, MD, USA
    Steam, Vapor & Hot-Water Heating Specialists
    Oil & Gas Burner Service
    Consulting
  • gerry gill
    gerry gill Member Posts: 3,078
    I like it! Good job.
    gwgillplumbingandheating.com
    Serving Cleveland's eastern suburbs from Cleveland Heights down to Cuyahoga Falls.

  • Ironman
    Ironman Member Posts: 7,366
    A boiler that’s properly sized will have longer run times and be more efficient than one that’s oversized.

    Just like gasoline, the cost of natural gas and propane has increased substantially from the previous year. Therefore, you can’t use the $$ amount of fuel as a valid comparison.
    Bob Boan
    You can choose to do what you want, but you cannot choose the consequences.
  • MaxMercy
    MaxMercy Member Posts: 507
    Ironman said:

    Just like gasoline, the cost of natural gas and propane has increased substantially from the previous year. Therefore, you can’t use the $$ amount of fuel as a valid comparison.

    I reread the OP and he did indeed say his heating "bill" went up a little. Not sure if he meant fuel usage or cost - maybe he'll clarify. I always monitor my oil usage.

    He also said he upped his set temp so that would also affect his heating costs.



    ethicalpaul
  • ethicalpaul
    ethicalpaul Member Posts: 5,695
    Not to mention the weather. Also for clarification, I meant the overall run-time should be similar (including pressure cycles)...A larger boiler is pushing more BTU into the boiler water, but there is also a larger quantity of water and iron to heat up so it's difficult to make a direct comparison.
    NJ Steam Homeowner. See my sight glass boiler videos: https://bit.ly/3sZW1el
  • SteamingatMohawk
    SteamingatMohawk Member Posts: 997
    What were the steam capacities on the old one compared to the new one?
  • SteamingatMohawk
    SteamingatMohawk Member Posts: 997
    Is your timing during recovery from a setback?
  • SteamingatMohawk
    SteamingatMohawk Member Posts: 997
    That arrangement is what HH guys dream about.
  • AdmiralYoda
    AdmiralYoda Member Posts: 624
    I've been working with New England Steamworks on a quote to replace my old oversized Peerless. They quoted me this exact setup. Just trying to think if I should just do it....or wait until my 40 year old poorly piped boiler quits.
  • ostneb
    ostneb Member Posts: 4
    Snowmelt said:

    How high are those risers,? I like the pre made pig tail at the pressure troll

    I believe they were 30" risers.
    Ironman said:

    A boiler that’s properly sized will have longer run times and be more efficient than one that’s oversized.

    Just like gasoline, the cost of natural gas and propane has increased substantially from the previous year. Therefore, you can’t use the $$ amount of fuel as a valid comparison.

    MaxMercy said:

    Ironman said:

    Just like gasoline, the cost of natural gas and propane has increased substantially from the previous year. Therefore, you can’t use the $$ amount of fuel as a valid comparison.

    I reread the OP and he did indeed say his heating "bill" went up a little. Not sure if he meant fuel usage or cost - maybe he'll clarify. I always monitor my oil usage.

    He also said he upped his set temp so that would also affect his heating costs.


    These are the therms i've used along with avg temps. The yellow highlight is when the new boiler was installed. I do not have a setback.

    I'm providing just in case people are interested, i've accepted the increased costs.

    I was never able to find out what the specs of my old boiler were, it was a Peerless with 6 blocks in back.

    Thanks everyone!
  • JakeCK
    JakeCK Member Posts: 1,356
    edited April 2022
    Believe it or not that increased usage could easily be accounted for by the increased setpoint and colder winter. Do you the number of days each cycle is?
    pecmsg
  • BobC
    BobC Member Posts: 5,476
    The only way to compare months is to know the degree days of each month. This is a site I've used to get that information -

    https://www.degreedays.net/

    You enter your weather station ID, the inside temp set point, the frequency (daily, monthly,etc) and period of time you want to cover. It will crunch the data and give you a CSV file you can open in your spreadsheet program.



    Easy to use and free as is my Libre Office

    Bob
    Smith G8-3 with EZ Gas @ 90,000 BTU, Single pipe steam
    Vaporstat with a 12oz cut-out and 4oz cut-in
    3PSI gauge
    reggi